‘Craigslist Robber’ Gets 31 Years in Prison

OAKLAND, Calif. (CN) – A 42-year-old “Craigslist robber” was sentenced Tuesday to 31 years in federal prison for luring people to the Bay Area to sell jewelry and Rolex watches, then robbing them.

Michael Anthony Martin, of Tracy, is the fifth member of the robbery crew to be sentenced to prison. After finding potential victims on Craigslist, they offered to reimburse them for air travel to the Bay Area, and sent a limo driver to pick them up at the airport. But the driver was a crew member, and would take them to the rest, who robbed them using guns and violence, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in announcing the sentence Tuesday.

Evidence at trial showed the ring stole more than $500,000 worth of jewelry from victims from six states. A jury convicted Martin in February of four counts of robbery and one count of conspiracy to commit robbery affecting interstate commerce. The judge enhanced Martin’s sentence for committing perjury during his trial. He also ordered him to pay $192,000 in restitution. Martin, already in custody, was sent straight to prison.